There are dishes that have something that hooks you from the first time you try them. They’re those recipes that, even if they come from the other side of the world and you can’t even pronounce their names, suddenly make you feel like you’ve been eating them all your life, like they’re distant cousins of your grandmother’s noodle casserole, your mother’s stew, or that Proustian madeleine we all have.
That’s exactly what happened to me the first time I tried these noodles with Sichuan‑style peanut sauce: the combination of salty, sour, fatty, toasted, and slightly sweet is incredibly satisfying (I neither confirm nor deny that they could quickly become that meal that, when you have a bit of a hangover, seems sexier than Tom Hardy).
Precisely for that reason, they won’t exactly win over any nutritionist. But using a decent peanut butter—one that’s just peanuts; if it contains sugar or salt, you should use less in the sauce—and considering that they’re not meant to be eaten every day, I’d like to think they’re not exactly on the WHO’s radar.
Originally, wheat noodles with mango extract, very typical in northern Chinese breakfasts, called Santon, are used. They are square‑cut and have a thick, slightly porous texture that really comes alive when soaked in sauce.
The mango extract simply adds color, and it’s difficult to find these noodles in any format other than family‑sized or commercially prepared—in two‑kilo packages, for example—but any other slightly thick noodle can be a perfect substitute. Buckwheat soba or udon noodles—which you don’t even have to cook because they come ready to eat—can be excellent replacements.
Difficulty: The difficulty of having patience until the vinegar takes on the flavor of the garlic and ginger.
Gluten-Free Peanut Noodles Recipe
Ingredients (For 4 people)
For the sauce (makes about 8 servings)
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Garlic cloves | 2 |
| Piece of ginger root (2 cm) | 1 |
| Black vinegar (Chinkiang) or white wine vinegar | 8 tablespoons |
| Soy sauce | 8 tablespoons |
| Sugar | 2 level tablespoons |
| Peanut butter | 6 generous tablespoons |
| Tahini | 2 tablespoons |
| Sunflower oil | 4 tablespoons |
Besides
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Peeled fried peanuts | 50 g |
| Soba, Santon or udon noodles | 250 g |
| Chinese spring onion (or scallion, green onion, or the green part of a spring onion stem) | to taste |
| Sesame | to taste |
| Cilantro (optional) | to taste |
Instructions:
- Finely chop the garlic and ginger. Marinate them with the vinegar and soy sauce for a couple of days in the refrigerator.
- Strain and discard the solids. Dissolve the sugar completely in four tablespoons of hot water. Mix the marinade liquid with the peanut butter, sugar water, tahini, and sunflower oil, blending until you achieve a texture similar to a light mayonnaise (if it is too thick, you can thin it with a little more water, vinegar, or soy sauce if you want it saltier or more acidic).
- Boil the noodles according to the manufacturer’s instructions, drain them, and quickly mix them with the sauce while they are still piping hot, either in a large bowl or in individual serving bowls. Serve with half the peanuts coarsely chopped and the other half finely chopped, finely chopped scallions or chives, and cilantro (if desired).
Nutrition Facts
Here’s the nutrition facts table for Gluten Free Peanut Noodles Recipe (serving size: ~1.5 cups cooked noodles with sauce; recipe yields 4 servings).
| Nutrition | Amount per Serving | % Daily Value* |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 450 kcal | 23% |
| Total Fat | 18 g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat | 3 g | 15% |
| Trans Fat | 0 g | |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 520 mg | 23% |
| Total Carbohydrate | 58 g | 21% |
| Dietary Fiber | 6 g | 21% |
| Total Sugars | 6 g | |
| Protein | 14 g | 28% |
| Calcium | 40 mg | 3% |
| Iron | 2.5 mg | 14% |
*Disclaimer: Nutrition estimates are for general guidance only, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Actual values vary with brands, gluten‑free noodle type, and peanut butter used.*